Auckland

New Zealand·Oceania

Currency

NZD

Language

English, Maori

Timezone

Auckland

Continent

Oceania

Our guide

Discover Auckland

Auckland is built on some fifty extinct volcanoes between two harbours, which is why water is visible from almost everywhere. The Sky Tower stands three hundred and twenty-eight metres over the city and remains the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere. The Auckland War Memorial Museum holds the world's most important collection of Māori and Polynesian art and objects, in a neoclassical building set on a crater. The Auckland Art Gallery and the New Zealand Maritime Museum complete the picture, the latter a reminder that the city calls itself the City of Sails.

When to go

Southern hemisphere: December to February is the austral summer, warm without excess and busy. March and April give the best compromise — the sea still workable, fewer people. Winter, June to August, is mild but wet; it does not freeze. Auckland has a reputation for four seasons in a day and earns it: carry a waterproof layer in any season.

Getting around

The centre walks well but the city sprawls enormously. Ferries leave downtown for Devonport and Waiheke Island, and those are the most enjoyable journeys. Buses cover the rest with an AT HOP card. A car stays useful for leaving the city, and driving on the left is one more adjustment.

Where to eat

New Zealand cooking rests on lamb, seafood and a coffee culture inherited from Australia — the flat white is disputed between the two countries. Hāngī, Māori cooking in an earth oven, is met through cultural experiences rather than in restaurants. The country's white wines are excellent and cheap on the spot. Twenty-five halal addresses are listed, the highest count of our Oceanian destinations.

Good to know

The New Zealand dollar is the currency and contactless payment is the norm. Tipping is not practised. The UV index is among the highest in the world because of the thin ozone layer at this latitude: sunburn arrives in fifteen minutes, cloud included. And biosecurity on entry is strict — food and hiking gear are inspected.

Smart Planning